Obama wins Va. Democratic presidential primary

Sen. Barack Obama won the Virginia
Democratic presidential primary Tuesday
after a marathon push this past weekend
to gain votes in the commonwealth.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who has
supported Obama instead of Obama’s
opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, since
the beginning of his campaign last year,
attributed Obama’s success to winning the
votes of Virginia’s typically independent
voters.

“He has strong views, but he tends
not to demonize the opposition,” Kaine
said. “He’ll talk about what he believes,
but he is always working in the state
legislature and in Congress now to try
to find partners on the other side of the
aisle to make things happen … I think
that could well be the reason for a solid
performance tonight.”

Obama received more than 620,000
votes-about 64 percent of the ballots
cast in the Democratic primary, according
to results Wednesday morning from the
State Board of Elections. Clinton received
about 344,000 votes.

Obama, a U.S. senator representing
Illinois, said Tuesday that Kaine is on a
“short list” of people he would like to
have in his administration.

Kaine said to hear that is gratifying.

“But I didn’t endorse him to get
anything; I just endorsed him because
I wanted him to win,” Kaine said
as the election results were
tallied. “I think there’s a
lot I can do as governor
to help him to win, and
hopefully he’ll have a good
night tonight, and then the
focus will be on the next
steps down the road.”

Most Democrats in the
General Assembly were
reluctant to come out
in support of Obama or
Clinton before Tuesday’s
primary. Delegate Jim
Scott, D-Merrifield, was
among a group of House
members who chose to
officially endorse Obama
last week.

“I believe he has the
best chance to win and
he’s a guy who can make
everybody come together,”
Scott said. “The first time I
voted, I voted for John F.
Kennedy. (Obama) does
have that kind of charisma
and that kind of ability to
inspire young people.”

Jessica Lee, student
liaison of VCU’s Young
Democrats and president
of the Student Government
Association, said there
have been big increases
in turnout at campaign
events and in support for
both candidates.

Although the Young
Democrats group has
not officially endorsed a
candidate, Lee is backing
Clinton, a U.S. senator
from New York.

“I think (the win) is
really showing Obama’s
momentum,” Lee said.
“Last week wasn’t just a
fluke, and it shows it’s
snowballing. It’s going
to be really rough (for
Clinton), and there’s going
to be a lot of catching up
to do.”

Lee said she has been
frustrated that many of the
Obama supporters she has
spoken with are attracted
more by his image than
his agenda.
“You ask them about
his policies, and they have
no idea,” she said. “I hope
that the campaign doesn’t
stay at the level it’s at now.
A lot of people are inspired-
and a lot of people
are ignorantly inspired.”

Obama and Clinton will
face off next Tuesday in
the primary elections in
Wisconsin and Hawaii.

In Virginia’s Republican
primary, Arizona Sen. John
McCain received about
242,000 votes – just more
than half of the ballots cast
in the GOP contest.

Former Arkansas Gov.
Mike Huckabee received
about 189,000 votes. U.S.
Rep. Ron Paul of Texas
received about 23,000
votes.

—

On the Web
Visit the Web site of the
State Board of Elections
(www.sbe.virginia.gov)
for primary election
results statewide and
by city and county.